The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Ellwood Hybrid – Single Cylinder Reed Valve Intercooled 4 Stroke Engine

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All sorts of interesting custom bikes and engine projects are coming out of Sweden all of a sudden, or at least, I'm just coming across them, and John Ellwood thought we might like to see one more, it's his Ellwood Hybrid, a single cylinder, 4 stroke with reed valves, from a 2 stroke, mounted on the crankcase directing the crankcase pressure to charge the intake twice per power … [Read more...]

Wesll 4 Wheel Leaning Suspension System

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Tilting 3 wheelers are getting to be old hat, after Piaggio introduced the MP3, there was a flurry of attention and activity related to the technology and it looks like it works very well. Now both manufacturers and homebuilders are turning out their own versions and there seems to be a ready market. So, yesterday, I get an email from Thomas Melcher of Wesll Corporation with a … [Read more...]

Cardboard Motorcycles and Scooters

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As the weather turns a bit chilly and you're looking for an indoor hobby, how about building a motorcycle in your living room where it's warm or maybe the spare bedroom? Before your significant other starts threatening to kick your butt out into that cold garage, explain it's just a cardboard sculpture and besides, you're doing your part to recycle at the same time. Along … [Read more...]

Motorcycle Racing Without Rules

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Every sport has its share of controversy, whether it involves a human athlete like the Olympics or motorsports like auto or motorcycle racing. Those controversies usually center around the rule book, in the Olympics it's age rules or doping rules, they're too young or they took some performance enhancing drugs, and in motorsports it might be a special engine modification or … [Read more...]

MotoPOD – Motorcycle Carrier for Airplanes

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You often see RVs rolling down the highway with a small motorcycle strapped to the back, after all, once you park the land yacht, you don't want to use it for every short trip at your destination but what if your RV is an airplane? If you land at some out of the way country airport, how do you get to town? MotoPOD is the answer. A specially constructed cargo pod strapped to the … [Read more...]

Electronic Shift By Wire on Bicycles

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Every time I mention brake by wire, throttle by wire or anything by wire, there's a contingent of voices that just can't get their heads around the change. Here is another sign of control by wire in a place I wouldn't have thought about, bicycles. Shimano has introduced their full electronic shift by wire system for road bicycles. The derailleur is controlled by a stepper motor … [Read more...]